Posts Tagged ‘short’

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about Taryn Simon’s latest work Contraband, because I feel that not only is this a great work because of its actual content but because of the perception of the photographer in working out a particular point in space and time to focus on in order to make her point.

I discovered this amazing 24 minute documentary film called Lift recently, which uses the same technique although for a completely different end. In 2001 the film maker Marc Issacs set himself up in the elevator of a council estate (the phrase for project housing in England) in East London for 3 months and filmed whoever stepped in the space. As the time went on the residents became more familiar with him and started to reveal things about themselves which they wouldn’t have otherwise.

This 24 minutes is packed with characters and is an absolutely fascinating piece of social documentary. Highly recommended.

For those that are interested there’s a quick interview with the director which sheds some light on how he set this project up – here

There was (and still is) the radio single, but now there is the long-form online music video. No longer do directors and artists need to adhere to MTV guidelines.

It’s great to see that the effect that online media is having on established forms of expression. I am particularly impressed with the way that YouTube is allowing the music video to evolve because of new watching occasions. This new 10 minute music/film by the much lauded NY rapper Pharaohe Monch is a great example of why independent artists no longer have to do things by the book anymore.

I’m sure the music industry is watching hard at fantastic bits of work like this. Successful experiments like the below stand by themselves:

I would also recommend watching Romain Gavras’s video for MIA’s song Born Free as another example of this new type of music video, although that said the content is not something that I’m in favour of at all: it’s pretty cynical, particularly in its use of violence.